Is It Time to Overhaul Your Schedule?

If you’ve been looking forward to summer to take more long bike rides, hit the beach, catch lightening bugs with your children or otherwise enjoy the summer weather, you probably face the conundrum we all do: How do you balance your need to recharge with the responsibility to make a living?

I recently read Meg Cadoux Hirshberg’s For Better or for Work, a book about her life as the spouse of Stonyfield Yogurt founder Gary Hirshberg. Reading about her persistent feelings of not having enough time with her husband reminded me of how important it is– no matter how diligently we are trying to make a living and build a better future for our families–of carving out time during the day for those who matter most to us. Although our spouses and children understand that we have to work, it’s important to give them time that’s not squeezed between business calls. We all know this, of course, but it’s easy to forget during periods where clients’ needs are high.

Eilene Zimmerman, a freelancer who runs a thriving business, mentioned one strategy that works for her recently: Getting up at 5 a.m., so she has time for things like going to the beach in the afternoon with her kids.

It’s a strategy I’ve used in the past, but slipped away from because of various wrinkles in my schedule during my children’s school year.

I’ve returned to that schedule since last week, when my children finished school. It’s amazing how much more I look forward to the day when I know I have time to take life slowly with my kids–and still get my work done. Yesterday, we had a chance to read a poetry book we checked out of the library, and it was really nice to feel like I wasn’t rushing everyone through it.

I wish I could say I could get up at dawn without a jolt of coffee, but I haven’t figured that part out yet.

How do you make the most of your freelance schedule in summer? Please let us know in the comment area?